We Were Afflicted in Every Way... But Not Crushed

by Francis MacNutt
April 1995

As you probably know, I've just finished writing a book titled Deliverance from Evil Spirits (Chosen Books is publishing it in June). That's the good news, the task was successfully completed.

The writing has been a five–year process that proved a long and arduous undertaking. The project has been hindered by what can only be described as spiritual harassment. It was clear that "our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places," Ephesians 6: 12 NRSV. For example, Ann Bauwens and Betty Heindle, my secretaries over the last five years, would develop headaches when driving into work, or typing the book on computer. When we prayed, the headaches would disappear. Judith and I and the staff experienced computer problems, accidents, illnesses, and other trials we will spare you. It became a joke at lunch, "When are you going to finish that book?"

Many of you have been praying very hard for us and standing with us during this time of trial. We could identify with Paul as he states in 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed," and 2 Corinthians 4:16, "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day." God did renew us and prove that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us," Romans 8:37.

In God's protection and grace we finally finished the manuscript and sent it on to my editor at Chosen Books, Jane Campbell, a very level–headed, rational person. "I have to confess I wasn't worried when I received the computer disk for your new book, despite the computer glitches and physical problems that had arisen in your office," Jane writes. But all did not go as planned. Two weeks after receiving the manuscript Jane phoned our office in distress: for no apparent reason the text had disappeared on her computer screen and two weeks' work was lost.

"The prospect of losing all my work reduced me to tears. Plus I was scared. I felt I was up against a presence stronger than I was, and that I was being toyed with. The support man from Microsoft called my problem 'strange' and 'weird' and told me that it was at a level deeper than the software and that he couldn't help me," Jane says.

The second strange occurrence was that the "Tools" function on her computer told her there were 3639 words in Chapter 5, but she couldn't see a single one of them! She called our office and several members of the staff prayed for her over the phone. Jane and the staff continued to cover the project in prayer, Jane especially clung to Colossians 2: 15, "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

The most frightening event was when the computer retrieved one lone sentence from the middle of Chapter 5, "I have already mentioned that the person may start speaking in the plural we instead of I: 'We are not going to leave.' " It was as if the demonic force was talking back to Jane, taunting her!

This drove Jane to still more fervent prayer and after five hours of spiritual struggle, at 3 PM, the text all returned — for no logically explainable reason. "I don't want to over spiritualize this, but it was the hour of Jesus' death on the cross, the event around which Jesus' victory in Col. 2: 15 pivots," Jane says.

God's protection has been so crucial to all of us during the writing of this book. With all of the spiritual warfare that has surrounded the writing and editing, we are confident that the book will bless many people as they grapple with the realities of the demonic realm. After the harassment Jane experienced, she learned to pray daily for protection, and thanks to God's sovereign protection there were no more problems and the manuscript is now at the publishers. Please pray that God protect and expedite the printing.

We do pray this new book helps many people learn to appropriate the victory that Jesus won over evil, and to recognize the reality of spiritual warfare and the demonic realm.

The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. — 1 John 3:8b

Francis MacNutt is a Founding Director and Executive Committee member of CHM.